Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-22
MOOSE HUNTING.
one MAN DOES THE WORK WHILE
THE OTHER SEES The FUN.

i'e sieN u tHS
| After the shot
= The moose seeks his food where the vel
low water lily is found 1t is not, how
ever the leaves nor the blossoms which
are sought, but the roots. These extend
in perfect network through the mud in
which they grow, attaining thickness
exceeding a mans arm and an indefinite
length. There is no disputing about
tastes, and consequently We will not
criticise the moose for being so fond of
/ this vegetable. But to the human palate
, 1t is dry, insipid and puckery. To obtain
! this he will wade out into the water and
souse his head beneath the surface until
( even his ears are submerged. Then hav-
ing wrenched chunk of greater or less
| length from its bed, he withdraws his
head, and, dripping water from each Of
the numerous angles which characterize
his ugly physiognomy, he stands the
picture of pure animal enjoyment, chew
ing away at one end of the root. while the
other sticks out of his mouth like a cigar
To catch him i'll the middle of this per
formanCe is the constant burden Of the
hunters prayers.
Should the night promise TO be still,
warm and dark, the hunter scours the re-
Hector of his jack until it shines like sill
yer, and breathes upon and wipes its glass
lens until it is speCkless. The lamp within
should emit a powerful light, but the cas-
ing must be 50 constructed that not the
fantest glimmer can escape until its aid
is required and n hinged cover, which
caps the glass, is dropped.
In this. as in most other forms Of moose
hunting, two form the company-one TO
do the work while the other takes In the
fun-and As in many other things in this
life, ultimate success depends more on
the skill of the former than on that Of the
latter.
After the jack as been lit some twenty
minutes, So that the maximum of light
possible without smoke is assured the
pair betake themselves to the canoe
Blankets are spread on the bottom Of the
boat to deaden any motion of the feet.
He who is to shoot seats himself in the
bow, while his companion first wraps him
in blankets and then arranges the jack.
This is best Suspended from frame be
hind the rifieman; but it should be 50
connected with his head that the beam of
light Will follow its every motion when
the jack is open. With the glass uncov-
cred, the rife is thrown To the shoulder,
and the connection of the jack with the
headgear is 80 adjusted that when the
most convenient aim is taken it will be
directly in the center Of illumination
Thus both sights of the rifle are perfectly
visible, and the difficulty is no longer to
shoot with accuracy, but only 10 obtain a
sufficiently distinct view of the object to
be hit.
When this is complete the other takes
l. -, -, H. f.Tl IL
over his lap, and, grasping his paddle,
pushes from the bank The jack is then
closed, and complete darkness and silence
follow.
As noiseless as the shadow of a cloud,
the canoe steals along, and hour after
hour its occupants, relying solely on tho
sense Of hearing, strain every nerve TO do
tect an indication of the near nsishbor-
hood OF the game they seek.
Al last cores Il slow and measured sound !
-slosh, slosh. slosh; and then all is still |
again. The heart of the hunter shrivels |
within him TO the size of q lemon, and |
flies into his throat, where it keeps up
such humping that it seems impossible |
that the noise should escape the quick ear
of the game With the utmost caution |
the rifle is brought to the full cock, and |
at the preconcerted signal. which it Is the !
duty of the paddler to give.
Every ache and pain is 1T once forgotten !
In the all absorbing question. WNl he re-
main in the water or take TO the bank. |
and burying himself in the woods escapes |
For he Is still far beyond the range of tho |
jack, and not till it will surely show him |
up must it be opened. If the motion of |
the canoe was slow before, it seems doubly
SO now. and minute after minute, each ap-
parently an hour, drags on, and still the
noise, repeated ut intervals, seems no
nearer.
At length, after a seemingly endless de- |
lay, comes the signal to open the jack.
and the light streams forth. There he
stands, mid leg deep in the water dim,
shadowy and monstruus, his eyes glaring
green in the light with the malevolence Of
4 demon. He will stay but for a second,
and only to decide which way to retreat
Raise the rifle slowly, but lose no time.
Draw as careful bead as though shoot
ng at two-inch bulls eye, and give il TO
him right Throughout behind-the mid
lie of the fore shoulder For second the
smoke obscures the result. Is he down or
lp' In either case, dose him again il you
an; but if you cannot, close the jack at
,nce. Now is no time to ask your COM
lanion: Do you think l hit him. II you |
we're silent before, be doubly 50 now and
Isten. Docs he burst into and tear
through the woods as though he had gone
nto the kindling wood business and was
aging in q winters stock, and do you
lear him crashing and smashing until the
Ound dies away on the distant mountain
ide' 1t was clear miss, or at best y
.raze. But no; the uproar dies away and
silence you can almost feel ensues.
What sound is that from the neighbOriuI
voodss There he is! You can hear him
,reathe and wheeze at every inspiration.
{ is well. The shot was q little too Tar
'ack, but it was pretty well placed all the
anne Now withdraw with the stiffness
4 death itself, and not until at least
Ialf mile intervenes whisper to your
We'll. l guess that's our
neat, what do you thins?'
For If from any act Of yours he discov-
rs what has hurt him. particularly II you
tempt TO land, he will either attack at
nee, in which case you will be in desperate
eril or he will travel till he drops, perhaps
niles and miles away, and the foxes and
ther .marauders OF the forest alone will
roflt by his death. Whereas if you leave
i'm to attribute his distress TO stroke Of
ghtniny or fit of indigestion. or to any
ause other than the agency OF man, you
Fill find him in the morning, if not lying
cad, where you last heard him, at all
vents SO enfeebled that you may still
unit him With the certainty Of success
Ienry Z. Wells in Harper's Magazine.
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